So, it has been a FoH project for a long time to make an eye catching postcard that can be sent out to the kind of places the Artists we are looking for hang out, and get more folk interested in putting their art in our space,

Kata has a design (she will post it here soon)

I feel this is something that we should get printed before the Meadows Fest, so lets consensus, baby.

Here is my first bash at the text... but as you are all aware I am no writer (and I'm a hippy) so.. edit, re-write and lets get it down.

Hello, you are who we are looking for! So, you have an original, considered developed idea for a mural, exhibition, installation for our space? Great! We can offer you food, drink, full support and modest budget for materials.What can you offer us? Proposals, including images, via email to foh@theforest.org.uk.We Love art. We love you.

Forest is a volunteer run, self-funded, Arts & Events Charity at the heart o=f Edinburgh that has been doing cool shit for ten long years!

(please note: this is a call for work to be displayed in various parts of the Forest building, not the TotalKunst Gallery)

Do we really get a lot of proposals which are rejected on the grounds of being naff/twee/shite? Using half the text to say what we don't want seems a bit extreme. I know what you mean about no trees or works about the environment. But there is the odd bit of foliage in some of my photos.

If we make decisions on a case by case basis, it doesn't mean that all decisions are difficult.

it could be i just like being a dick but I'll give my opinion and let the rest decide:

I feel that good artists won't take us seriously unless we come out swinging.

I believe the negativity combats our fluffy wollen headed hippy image. I think good and serious artists might look at this call out and think -- "hey that is me / I hate the same things they do"

Obviously, there are exceptions to every rule. My friends definitely have some good images with tress in them etc. That includes swith.

Further, I think we all need to agree -- a bit -- on what kind of things we want on our walls.

I very much would like to move away from the "anyone can paint / we're all artists" shite. People who are excellent want to have their work seen amongst other excellent work.

Anyway, it is my (possibly wrong) theory that a stern and clear call out will get us better submissions and push away the time wasters. That said, we can always add a (these are guidelines, if you think you have a great Celtic tree mural to paint, let us know kind of line) or we can keep it open and lovey as nix suggests. There is a good argument for that too. I just want to see new good and exciting work on the walls. However we get it is good for me.

Why dont we go to the degree show and see what we like then approach people based on their work, maybe that then becomes wore like a commissioned piece and the might expect to be paid, Im glad alex is going to do some work on the way down to the bassement, maybe mikey would be up for doing something when he gets back as well. If we want good art from a flyer then the flyer has to be good art, surely. less info more art, somthing that just simply says words to the effect of do a mural at the forest, for more info paint@theforest, done in an arty stylish way, maybe a few designs, some painting some collage etc, maybe we could even take photos of small sections of the walls as they are which people may recognise with basic bold text like YOUR ART ON A WALL then the backside saying The forest has space for you to art, for more info.maybe that's a shit idea who knows

really like the art degree sow idea too, and as stephen says, it might be easier to approach the people whos art we like instead of just waiting for the proposals to come to us if we want our walls nice before the fringe and the 10th anniversary, I'll ask Kata today to put up the postcard design on the bb today

i think we should stay more open though too, ok not everyone is a brilliant mural artist, but we sholdn't limit it just to degree show art schoolists. What about people who exhibit in Total Kunst? Could be good to let all of them know the possibilities too, right?

D x

Our big brother's got no heart,
when I get my chance I'm going to punch him in the nose, in the nose, in the nose

Im posting the first draft for the front of the postcard. I still need to work on it because of the edges of the pictures, and they are a bit distorted, Im still getting used to using gimp. What do you think of it? Im aware that it might be too busy, but I quite like the pictures that are showing or demonstarting the things that could be done at the forest, and since the back is going to be black and white, I think that is better to have images in the front, unless we have good quality black and white images. I'll try and take some pictures in black and white tomorrow, and see how it turns out. But I still need to make a simple and good design, which I would need some help with. Who would be up for helping with the back?

I think that the degree show is a good idea, especially because we could actually talk with the people whose work is exhibited there. We should also finish making and printing the postcard for the degree show, and then we can bring it their, and give it to people directly.

I also agree that getting a bit more involved with the gallery, just going to the meeting could help with the Foh, because the people that dont suit the gallery projects that much, could work with the Foh. A good example for that is the Traffic light man installation, which was originally a proposal for the gallery.plus people might be interested in exhibiting their work in the café or the building. I agree with that too that we should stay open for other people as well, not just people from art schools.

"Do we really get a lot of proposals which are rejected on the grounds of being naff/twee/shite? Using half the text to say what we don't want seems a bit extreme. I know what you mean about no trees or works about the environment. But there is the odd bit of foliage in some of my photos." hmmm eventough I like the part of the text of Ryan about happy bunnies, celtic roots, peace, love and harmony, itmight be too harsh , but I dont actually know. I agree that the text should be catchy, but we should really overemphasise what we dont want. But we dont really get proposals with happy bunnies though

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

So does any one have any good quality pictures of the forest that they would be willing to let people design with, I like the image in foh2 as it is of the walls but maybe not immediately apparent and not a general view of the cafe. This was just a quick idea of something that may work, i don't think the original image, although great, is of good enough quality, by that i mean it's resolution not it's composition. I also agree with dan that we should look further than just degree students, it would be great to have more art installation happenings again and might be a good place to start looking and asking if people were interested. if any one has any photos they could spare please send them as png's to kata FOH@theforest.org.uk i believe.

Ok, my twopence here even if too late for the meadows festival. We all agree that we do not want bunnies trees etc, so its really good to remind ourselves of this! To put this in a call though will not work to attract serious artists/work tho, it will just make it sound that we will be a bitch to work with, and all we get is crap proposals. (Not true, right?) We need to make it sound like the kind of place that it’s worth your effort to show your work in. What’s really exciting and cutting edge about our space? When I hear volunteer, i think green scouts, when I hear charity I think of some religious organisation or charity shop… Good things in themselves, but I think it just describes some particular mechanisms that we operate by (albeit for good reason) , and do not really communicate all that we OFFER. I think what we are dealing here with is a radically independent, DIY open source cultural and social centre, artist resource space, gig venue, … really a kind of radical, but laid back urban organism/experiment rather than a ‘charity organisation’. You expect to have this kind of space in NYC, Berlin, and you, surprisingly, happen to have one in Edinburgh. We take it for granted and do not really put this out very well… But this is the kind of space that its really worthwhile to show your work in, because the whole premise, the concept of the forest is really challenging, and in a way, to challenge as well, just by being there. Totally radical, fiercely independent, urban, open and inclusive, active(ist), experimental, even futurist – is about doing tomorrows image/music/word already today, just by doing it, instead of fretting about it… So I think if we put this foot forward of our lovely space, ( if we have this foot), we might get some fresh visual responses. Are we also afraid to mention the word ‘overhaul’…? Can we suggest that we are now looking to visually ‘overhaul’ for example the stairwell space… and see what kind of responses we might get?

We would like to find exciting and talented creatives to exhibit their inspiring and engaging works on a semi permanent basis within The Forest, a vibrant and radically independent DIY open source cultural and social centre, artist resource space, gig venue and all round laid back urban organism/experiment. We would love to see your work and hear your ideas.

mirja wrote: radically independent, DIY open source cultural and social centre, artist resource space, gig venue, urban organism/experiment the kind of space that its really worthwhile to show your work in, the forest is really challenging, and in a way, to challenge as well, just by being there. Totally radical, fiercely independent, urban, open and inclusive, active(ist), experimental, even futurist – is about doing tomorrows image/music/word already today, visually ‘overhaul’ for example the stairwell space… and see what kind of responses we might get?

The Forest. Tomorrows world today! D.I.Y Cultural and social centre Totally radical, fiercely independent, urban Organism. Come and Visually Overhaul our Stairwell, walls, ceilings, Toilettes, Doors, Minds The Forest. Your World Today! Transmuting people and space into ART since the year 2000

So maybe its a bit silly and there is not enough about the fact we are looking for artists, Something between what me and stepehen G pulled from the text by Mirija could be used.

I also think that by stressing talented and exciting creatives makes us come across as slightly desperate, I say slap em in the face and hope they slap you back. I don't think i'm making much sense right now.

Also would any of the people in visual arts be willing to help/guide/inspire Kata when it comes to talking to and dealing with the artists that will shortly be flocking to us. It might be good to see a more dynamic (sorry for using that word) interchange between FOH and Total KUNST. This might also help artists who want to go beyond the formula of paint/ pictures on a wall come up with some more interesting concepts.

It might also be good to have a small foh web presence so people could see what sort of projects people have done in the space in the past, some photos of old murals, the video tape instillation, the plant thing and the tables on poles etc. This would enable people to see what can be done in our space, how far we are willing to go etc. This also has the benefit of the flyer being simpler with an address of the page, Some text and a contact email.